Rotor for snow plows



Feb. 13, 5 ET AL 2,190,325

ROTOR FOR SNOW FLOWS Filed Jan. 10, 1938 I 7712 2150 r fizz. W M BEN Patented Feb. 13, 1940 I ROTOR FOR SNOW. rLoWs Melvin H. Bemis, Edward R. Greer; and Andrew v E. Morrison', Minneapolis, Minn., 'assignors to Rotary 'Snow Plow Company, Minneapolis, Minn., a corporationvof Minnesota Application January 10, 1938, SerialNo. 184,234

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a snow plow and particularly to a novel form of rotor for discharging snow from a snow plow.

In a well known type of snow plow the snow is moved to rotors by means of plates or moldboards andthe snow is then discharged by the rotor. The rotor thus has very heavy duty and it often must engage and propel chunks of ice and stones. The rotor thus must be of rugged construction and at the same time must be made to'efiiciently engage and discharge the snow.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simple and yet exceedingly strong and eflicient rotor for a snow plow. I

It is another object'of the invention to provide a rotor driven by a central shaft and built about a central annular plate.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a rotor having one or more hubs and a p1u= rality of trough-shaped blades, the sides of said blades'being secured respectively to the inner and outer ends of said hubs.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a rotor comprising a hub having a bearing for rotating on the shaft of the rotor and also having means for connecting the hub of the rotor to the shaft to be driven thereby.

These a'nd other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawing in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the rotor; Fig. 2 is acentral horizontal section of the rotor showing the driving shaft therefor; and

s Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation of the central portion of the rotor, some parts being broken away and others shown in-vertical section.

Referring to the drawing," a rotor structure for a snow plow is shown including a'shaft 25. Shaft will be driventhrough suitable gearing (not shown) either from the motor of the propelling vehicle or by a. motor mounted on the plow. The rotor propercomprises a central annular plate illustrated as having a circular shoulder-forming bead 30a extending thereabout. A hub 3| has a flange 3|a secured to one-side of plate 30 and a hub 32 has a flange 32a secured to the oppositeside' of plate 30, said flanges being secured by a plurality of circumferentially spaced headed and nutted bolts 33 extending through said flanges and plate 30." The outer edges or peripheries of said flanges engage the shoulders formed by bead 30a. Hub 3|. has an outer flange 3|b and hub 32 has an outer flange 32b. A roller, bearing 34 is disposed in hub 3| in which may" run a reduced portion 25a. of shaft 25. "A plate 35 is disposed between the end of bearing 34 and the shoulder or shaft 25. A plate 36 is threaded on shaft 25 and engages the outer end of bearing 34. Beyond plate 36 shaft 25 has a splined portion 25b and a driving member 3'! is bored and slotted to fit portion 2512' so as to rotate with shaft 25. Member 3'! has a plurality of radial slots or recesses 31a formed in its outer end and one or more frangible headed pins 38 extend through holes in hub 32 and into the recesses 31a.

Hub 32 has outwardly projecting lugs 32e'aper tured to receive a split key 32d which holds the.

pin 38 in place. An end cap 39 has a semispherical end andalso has a flange engaging the outer end of member 31 to which it is connected of said blades or scoops are secured respectively 28 ends. The ends of said plates forming the sides to the inner sides of flanges 3|b and 32b by'and i are swingable about the headed and nutted bolts 42. Plates 43 which are of elongated and of general crescent form are disposed at either side of plate 30 and connected thereto by headed and nutted bolts 42c. Plate 30 is tional holes 30b through which bolts 420 may extend with blades 4| in different positions. Blades 4| are provided at their ends adjacent the periphery of plate 30 with slots Mo to accommodate the swinging movement of said blades when they are adjusthed to different positions. Plates 43 extend along and are connectedto'the rear or convex sides of the blades 4| in any suitable manner as by welding. As shown in Fig. 2 plates 43 diverge toward their outer ends. A bead or rod 44 of very hard metal is secured to the edge of blades4| in any suitable manner as by welding. I

In operation, shaft 25 is driven as above described and the rotor is rotated at fairly high speed with the concave sides of blades 4| advancing. The snow is engaged by these blades and moved within or adjacent a suitable chute and is discharged centrifugally by the rotor through such chute. The rotor is driven from shaft 25 through member 31 and the frangible pins 38 provided with addi which connect member 31 to hub 32. Should any undue strain be placed upon the rotor as when engaging very hard snow or an excessively large piece of ice or stone, the pins 38 can break and thus prevent damage to the rotor. When pin 38 thus fails the rotor can revolve on shaft 25 and bearing 34 or shaft 25 may continue to rotate in bearing 34. The plow can then of course, be stopped and a new pin 38 placed in position. It is an easy and simple matter to remove the split key 3211, remove the old pin and insert a new one. By having the blades 4i secured at their sides to the hubs and also secured by plates 43 to the central plate a very stron and rugged structure is produced and one in which the strains are for the most part centralized and takenby the strong central plate 30. As stated, the blades swing about bolts 42 and can be adjusted to various positions by having bolts 42c pass through different holes 302). The adjustment of blades will be made to suit the character of snow being encountered.

From the above description it is seen that applicant has provided an exceedingly strong and rugged rotor and one which will perform the heavy duty required and yet one which is quite simple in construction. The parts of the rotor are all quite accessible and may be easily removed or renewed. The rotor has been amply demonstrated in actual practice and found to be very successful and efficient.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, withoutdeparting from the scope of ap'plicantsinvention, which generally stated, consists in a devicecapable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A rotor for a snow plow comprising an annular plate, a hub secured to said plate, said hub having flanges at each end, a plurality of con-' cavo-convex blades of sheet material having their concave sides directed forwardly for engaging snow, means'pivotally connecting the outer edges of said blades to said flanges respectively, means secured to said blades and extending along said plate and means for securing said last mentioned means in difierent positions on said plate whereby said blades are held in different positions.

1 2. A rotor for a snow plow having in combination, alined inner and outer hubs, flanges adjacent the ends of said hubs, a plate between and engaged by said flanges, means securing said flanges to said plate, flanges at the remote sides of said hubs, blades formed of plates bent into trough-shape, said blades having their greatest width at their central portions and tapering toward their ends, the end portions of said blades being secured to said last mentioned flanges,

plates secured to the-outer sides of said bladesand extending therealong and adjustably secured to said first mentioned plate.

3. A rotor for a snow plow comprising an annular plate, a hub secured to said plate, said hub having flanges at each end spaced from said plate, a plurality of blades formed from pieces of sheet metal bent into semi-cylindrical form and having their concave sides directed forward-1y 1y for engaging snow, the outer sides of said blades being secured to saidflanges respectively,

said blades being symmetrical about a central axis and disposed symmetrically with respectpto' said plate.

4. A rotor for a snow'plow having in combine ends thereof, a plurality of circumierentially 5 tion, a hubhaving spaced flanges'adjacent the spaced trough-shaped. blades of substantially.-

semi-cylindrical form disposed about said hub, said blades being widest at their central portion and tapering from said central portions toward each end, said ends being securedrespectively to said flanges, a plate secured to said hub and dis-f posed centrally between said flanges 'to which said central portions extend, the forward edges of said blades being disposed substantially in one;

plane and the central portions of said blades extending in a straight line from the outer edge of. said plate to the outer ends of said blade 5. A rotor for a snow plow comprising an an;

nular plate,a hub secured to each side oiisaid plate adjacent its inner circumference, said hubs" having flanges at their outer ends parallel to, and thus spaced at either side of said plate, scoop members formed of plates bent into substantially semi-cylindrical form and tapering toward their ends, the same having said, ends respectively sef j,

cured to said flanges, the inner "edgesof "said scoops being disposed at points along theouter. circumference of said outer plate, the medial line of each scoop extending outwardly from said outer circumference in a substantially straight line at a decidedly acute angle to a tangent at' said point and having their forward edges disposed substantially in one plane g 6. The structure setQfo'rth in claim 5,

scoops being symmetrical about a plane passing) centrally through and parallel to saidannuiart plate-and saidflrst mentioned plane making a slight angle to a radius of said annular plate ex L tending to the outer edge of said scoop.

'7. The structure set forth in claim 5,'and 'apair of plates for each scoop extending along the sides of said annular plate for an appreciable distance" and secured thereto, the same extending-out wardly along the convex sides of and secured'to said scoops and substantially perpendicular to the surface thereof. 1

MELVIN H; BEMIS.

EDWARD Rt. GREEK,

, ANDREW O RISON;

Saidv 

